Volume 1, Number 1 | July 22 - 28, 2010
East and West Village, Lower East Side, Soho, Noho, Little Italy and Chinatown

Scoopy's Notebook

Vive la blues!
Rolling Stone magazine recently ran a profile on the Rolling Stones’ epic recording sessions in the South of France for “Exiles on Main Street.” Well, the Stones aren’t the only blues-inspired band to go Gallic. The East Village’s Eden Brower and John Heneghan of Eden & John’s East River String Band were recently in the South of France visiting with Sophie Crumb and her father, R. Crumb, the underground comics legend, who also happens to be a major old-time blues aficionado. Sophie is a talented cartoonist in her own right. While they were there, Brower and Heneghan took the opportunity to cut some tunes with R. Crumb for their third album. (The photo above is from an earlier jam session.) Slated to be released by the end of the year, the disc is tentatively titled “Be Kind to a Man When He’s Down.” R. Crumb wasn’t just some celebrity sit-in at the recordings, but is the real blues deal, according to Brower. “Robert is probably the best mandolin player we know,” she said. “He plays banjo, he plays guitar — very, very multitalented.” As he has done for their last two albums, R. Crumb is also drawing the illustration for the cover of their upcoming CD.

Hamilton ‘admonishes’ N.Y.U.:
Community Board 2 is showing it’s more than ready to pick up where the recently suspended Borough President’s Community Task Force on N.Y.U. Development left off. Last Thursday, Jo Hamilton, the board’s chairperson, sent out a blistering e-mail blast to the neighborhood, headlined “CB 2 to NYU: Not So Fast.” In her e-mail, Hamilton notes that C.B. 2 had just that day sent a letter “admonishing” New York University President John Sexton and the university for “its inadequate response” to the task force’s recommendations on N.Y.U.’s 2031 expansion plans; the plans call for adding 1.5 million to 2 million square feet of space on the school’s two South Village superblocks, between Houston and W. Third Sts. and Mercer St. and LaGuardia Place. C.B. 2, Hamilton said, wants to make it perfectly clear “that this community has not accepted the university’s proposals as a fait accompli.” Now that N.Y.U. will be presenting its proposal to the community board as part of a city ULURP (uniform land-use review procedure), Hamilton continued, “it is time to get specific and detailed information.” To that end, C.B. 2 has requested the university’s participation in a series of public forums, beginning on Mon., Aug. 9, at 6:30 p.m., at P.S. 41, 116 W. 11th St. To prepare for that meeting, C.B. 2 is co-hosting an education forum with the community on how to get involved in the land-use process, with B.P. Scott Stringer and Councilmember Margaret Chin, on Wed., Aug. 4, at 6 p.m., A.I.A., 536 LaGuardia Place, Tafel Hall (downstairs space). The board urges residents to attend both meeting, and also to write a letter to Sexton with their questions and concerns about the project and to copy C.B. 2 and elected officials. “This is the largest development project proposed for our district in many years,” Hamilton wrote. “C.B. 2 is committed to lead the way, and establish a clear road map throughout the ULURP process, in order to protect the historic and unique character of our community.” Meanwhile, Andrew Berman of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation urged us to ask Stringer’s office for a written legal opinion from his general counsel, stating what exactly is the legal conflict of interest for Stringer to keep his task force running during the ULURP process. Stringer, however, declined to provide a written opinion. Carmen Boon, his press secretary, e-mailed us back: “This issue was discussed in depth when you…met with the borough president last week. My office has nothing else to add.” Hamilton said people can write to John Sexton at: New York University, Bobst Library, 70 Washington Square South, 10012.